The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1887-12-31

twenty magnificent stations, who carried
their proud heads as high as any emperor
were black as black could be- Such flow
ing names, such tails, fairly trailing on the
ground, and combed as fine as the hair oi
women, were sight to behold. There
we're nearly one hundred horses in the sta
bles used only under the saddle, and upon
whom no harness had ever been placed. Ii
would be quite impossible that Francis
Joseph or any other maa could get much
personal use out of three thousand horses
even if he devoted his whole time to riding
and driving. But the entire stock has a
chance to show what it is made of, for ii
is the custom of the Emperor, upon all state
occasions, to provide the numerous staff
which attends him and the Empress with
coaches and horses. This staff will include
hundreds, male and female, of the blood
royal and of the nobility, besides the mill
tary officers. The collection of carriages is
not less interesting than the horses. The
number here is about $50. There are a
dozen or more grand state coaches, blazoned
all over, even to the wheels, axles and poles,
with gold and gilt, and the panels orna-
mented with paintings. The ornamental
tion on the coach first made for Marie
Thercse could not have cost less than 500, !
0G0. This coach is never used now.
Standing by its side is the coach in which
Napoleon Bonaparte and Marie Louise first
rode as consorts, and not far away is the
little coach upon which rested the infant
limbs of their unfortunate offspring, the
Due de Reichstadt. A tiny little coach of
rich and artistic design, and which was
drawn by goats, is there to remind Francis
Joseph of the drives which he enjoyed be-
fore he put on trousers. There are several
carriages which belonged to the Archduke
Maximilian, the brother of the Emperor,
and also the saddle which he rode in Mex
ico before the Mexicans put cold lead in him.
These are regarded as precious relics, and
no one is allowed to put his finger on
them.
AN EXCLUSIVE ARIST0CRAcY.
The nobility of Austria is of the haught-
lest, the proudest and the poorest. There
are but few of this class who do not trace
their ancestry far back into the middle
ages. In those good old days, when he
strong by the right of might took from the
weak whatever they wanted, their ances-
tors mostly had rich possessions, but gen.
erations of consumers and no producers have
brought the inevitable consequences. The
Emperor has an immense private fortune,
larger than that of any subject. Several
of the other members of his family and a
few of the nobility are also very rich, but
the large majority Of them have tough
time Of it to exc out subsistence. There
are many noblemen of high title and lineage
who, | am told, have incomes not amount
ing to more than two, three or five thous-
and dollars year, and in many cases not
$1,000. But this nobility beats all others
for putting on airs. II has long been the
custom of the impoverished aristocracy Of
Great Britain to replenish its wasted for
tunes by marrying the gold of trade: and it
has been common for the penniless noble
men of some of the petty States Of Europe
to give their title to some foolish American
girl, who in nine times out of ten uses it
in exchange for her dollars. That member
of the Austrian nobility who, to save HIM
self from starvation, should marry one be-
gotten of trade would at once be absolutely
ostraciseq by his act, and such case is
almost positively unknown. To such an
extreme is this feeling of exclusiveness car
ried that professional man can have no
social relations with the nobility. They
would shut their doors in the face of the
most eminent advocate, physician or sur
geon, unless he came on professional bust
ness, just as soon as they would with the
smallest shopkeeper They have society
all to themselves; they have no clubs to
speak of, because there are not enough OF
them alike to maintain such organizations,
and they do very little entertaining. They
even look down upon the diplomatic corps,
and outside of the two or three big balls OF
dinners given by the Emperor every season
the members of that corps never have any
opportunity of meeting the aristocracy. Ii
is, | believe, different with the German and
Russian ambassadors, for these two are
princes, and that gives them personal
footing. / do not know how Mr. Lawton,
the United States minister, will like having
no society, for he IL a social man, bu, he
has only been here month or two, and
will have no experience in the matter until
next winter. 1t is fact that Visrna is
considered among the diplomatic corps as
the most undesirable post in Europe, and
no one stays here longer than he Can
help. A minister who represents :
country of equal rank with Austria
and who has been here pumber of years
said in that time he had received, outside
of official circles, only three invitations
The brokendown aristocracy of Austria
who have nothing to boast of but the dus
of their ancestors, may felicitate themselves
on the ridiculous airs which they assume
but pride must have fall, and some day
they may got little common sense drilled
into them. Many of the younger scionl
of the impoverished nobility hold commits
sions in the army. The Emperor will no
permit any of these to marry without hi
consent This can only be obtained whel
either the family of the young man or th'
young woman put up a sufficient sum tt
guarantee support to his family in case th
officer dies.
THE NATIONAL FINANCES
Austrian finances are in deplorabl
condition. The paper money with whicl
the whole empire is flooded Is about a
fimsy looking and as dirty as the old Con
federate currency For some time afte
the war with Prussia in 1866 it was at
discount Of fifty per cent, and the averag
discount now is twenty five per cent. Yol
always at once wish to wash your hand
when it passes through them. 1t is SAT-
that no one knows the actual amount o
this stuff which is in circulation, as tn
official exhibits are purposely misleading
The only record of Austrian finances whicl
can be relied upon is the interest-bearin
debt, abont which there eaa be no posi-
bility of deception. There is generally